The glossary: forty terms you will meet when automating WhatsApp, explained without jargon
Automating WhatsApp comes with a vocabulary borrowed from three worlds: Meta's platform, AI, and sales. Here are forty terms in plain English, two sentences each, with links to the deeper guides where they exist.
Quick answer
Forty terms across four groups: the AI (agent, chatbot, model, knowledge base, retrieval, hallucination, instructions, handover, teach loop), WhatsApp (Business app, official platform, linked device, template, 24-hour window, quality rating, messaging limit, broadcast, Status, verified badge, restriction), rules (opt-in, opt-out, STOP, PDPA, Do Not Call, disclosure), and operations (lead, stage, qualification, booking slot, reminder, nudge, containment, response time, digest).
The AI
- AI agent. Software that answers customer messages from your knowledge, asks questions, books and hands over. More.
- Chatbot. A scripted menu of buttons and fixed replies. Breaks on any question outside the script. Chatbot vs agent.
- Model. The underlying language system that writes text. The component, not the product.
- Knowledge base. The documents the agent is allowed to answer from. More.
- Retrieval. Searching the knowledge base for the relevant passage before writing a reply. More.
- Hallucination. An AI stating something false with confidence. Prevented by answering only from knowledge. More.
- Instructions. The plain-language rules for the agent: role, tone, do, never, hand over. More.
- Handover. The agent stopping and passing the conversation to a person. More.
- Takeover and hand-back. A person replying (agent pauses) and later returning the chat to the agent.
- Teach loop. Questions the agent could not answer, logged for you to answer once. More.
- Human in the loop. A setup where a person is always reachable and decides what matters. More.
- Disclosure. Telling customers they are talking to an assistant. On by default in ReplyKit.
- WhatsApp Business app. The free app with a profile, catalogue, quick replies and labels. More.
- Official API (Business Platform). Meta's sanctioned route for automation and campaigns, with per-message pricing. Pricing.
- Linked-device automation. Connecting a bot as a linked device by scanning a code, the way some unofficial tools do. Not sanctioned by Meta; numbers get restricted. Why ReplyKit uses the official platform.
- Linked device. A second device (web, desktop, or an agent) acting on one number. More.
- Template. A pre-approved message format required on the API outside the 24-hour window. More.
- 24-hour window. On the API, the period after a customer message in which free-text replies are allowed.
- Broadcast list. One message to up to 256 saved contacts. More.
- Status. A 24-hour post contacts can view; the safe way to share updates. More.
- Verified badge. Meta Verified's blue check for businesses; the green tick is retired. More.
- Restriction or ban. WhatsApp limiting or removing a number for policy breaches. Recovery.
- Click-to-chat link. A wa.me link that opens a chat with your number, optionally with a pre-filled message.
Rules
- Opt-in. Consent to receive messages you initiate. Required for marketing.
- Opt-out and STOP. A customer ending automated messages; must be honoured instantly. More.
- Inbound only. Replying only to people who messaged you; ReplyKit's mode.
- PDPA. Personal data protection law in Malaysia (2010) and Singapore (2012).
- Do Not Call Registry. Singapore's register for marketing messages to local numbers.
- Acceptable Use Policy. The rules on what may be automated. Ours.
Operations
- Lead. A contact who enquired. Stage: New, Engaged, Qualified, Booked, Won, Lost. CRM.
- Qualification. The questions that establish need, timing, budget and fit. More.
- Slot. A bookable time for a service with a duration. Booking.
- Reminder. The message the day before a booking. Nudge: one follow-up to a lead who went quiet. More.
- Messaging limit. Meta's ceiling on how many customers you can start template conversations with in 24 hours; it rises with quality. Quality rating: Meta's green, yellow or red score for a number, driven by blocks and reports. More.
- Containment. The share of conversations handled without a person.
- Response time. The gap between a customer's message and the first real reply. Measure it.
- Digest. ReplyKit's Monday email summarising the week.
- Website assistant. The AI chat widget on your site, separate from the WhatsApp agent. More.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an AI agent and a chatbot?
A chatbot follows a fixed script; an agent reads free text, answers from your knowledge and hands over when unsure.
What is QR pairing?
Connecting a bot to a WhatsApp number as a linked device by scanning a code. Instant, but not sanctioned by Meta for automation; ReplyKit retired it in 2026 for the official platform.
What is the 24-hour window?
On the official API, the period after a customer messages you in which free-text replies are allowed; outside it, only templates.
What is a cap?
The maximum replies per number per hour and per day, enforced to keep a number safe.
What is the teach loop?
The list of questions the agent could not answer, which you answer once so it knows next time.
Now you speak the language
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Sources and further reading
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing · per-message pricing for the official API, for comparison
- Personal Data Protection Department, Malaysia (PDPA 2010)
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.